The present invention relates generally to an interface for a display screen and, more particularly, to a graphical user interface which, with a control device, enables manipulation of graphic images on a display screen.
In an instrument which includes a display screen, an on-screen menu, and a control device, a user may interact with the on-screen menu by viewing the on-screen menu, deciding to select a menu item, and manipulating the control device to generate menu movement and to enable entry of the menu selection.
The instrument may comprise a hand-held wireless telephone which includes an on-screen menu displayed in a text text-based interface on a small liquid-crystal display screen, and a jog dial control device for scrolling through the menu and for entry of a menu selection and execution of an instrument function thereby.
The small liquid crystal display screen may enable viewing of a small number of lines of text, typically two lines. The menu may include a phone book feature in which names and phone numbers may be entered, for enabling browsing and selection of an entry whereupon the phone number selected is dialed. The instrument may also include other functions, such as pager reception, two-way pager sending, or short message sending such as e-mail. However, such an instrument may require frequent selection of menu entries and instrument functions by the user through the small text-based display screen which displays a very limited number of entries. The user may choose a single item from the items displayed, and may only need to focus on the single item to be selected, but the multiple items on display increase the difficulty in selecting the single item.
Therefore, there has been a need existing for a system which enables the user of an instrument to view and manipulate an intuitive interface in the display, and to view movement in the interface which corresponds to movement of the control device. The present invention fulfills these needs.